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This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
I recently read a story in the LA Times about Hallmark adding unemployment cards to its sympathy line. The cards are apparently a good way to show compassion, but to me spending $3 to $5 on a card is ridiculous! This got me thinking of five frugal ways to show your support for those going through a rough time.
Not surprisingly, Hallmark is not the only company getting in on the action. You can also buy layoff cards from online companies Zazzle Inc. and Greeting Card Universe.
MaryLane / Flickr
I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.
Tired of receiving tons of emails from daily coupon sites? It would be nice if there were a daily coupon aggregating site. There is. (Daily Dibs)
Save money on food by cooking ahead these 10 things on your day off from work. (Wisebread)
Do you fib about your finances? Find out how financial infidelity is taking a toll on marriages and how you can spot telltale signs of the financially unfaithful. (CNN Money)
If you like Groupon and Living Social, check out The Dealmap. (The Dealmap)
Unemployment has Americans spending more time sleeping, watching TV, and brewing beer. What are you spending your time on? (Time Moneyland)
Bonus: Rudy Park, the comic strip, occasionally features Rudy’s tightwad boss. Reader Diane said this strip from June 17 reminded her of a male Bargain Babe!
Reader Debra wins my review copy of Creative Unemployment: How To Transcend Job Loss
I would love to read this book. I have been looking for work since the end of April – it is very emotionally draining.
I hope this book helps you get through this difficult time, Debra. If you missed my review of the book, author Harlan Kidwell Jr. focuses on the emotional journey that follows getting laid off. One thing that comes up often – even when you have a job – is how to talk about money with friends who want to spend more than you do. Socializing can be a minefield when you are cutting back!
To reduce spending, go over your budget again or attend a totally free swap meet.
Have you ever been laid off? Then you know what a blow it can be financially and emotionally. On BargainBabe.com I mostly deal with surviving financially, so I welcomed Harlan Kidwell, Jr.’s book on the emotional fallout of job loss. Harlan’s self-published Creative Unemployment: How To Transcend Job Loss
With so many personal stories, Creative Unemployment is cathartic.
This book offers a positive look at the potentially damaging psychological aspects of underemployment. This book is not about finding a job. It is a book about finding yourself…When you find yourself, you will find employment – a vocation – a life purpose. The issues in this book can also be useful to people who are aware or alive and still employed who want to gain the benefits of increased self-awareness before the trauma of rejection and loss of income.
Each chapter of the 284-page book begins with a 1-3 sentence description of what you’ll get out of that chapter and ends with a 1-3 page review of the major points. Chapters 1-8 are about recognizing and accepting the emotional journey that follows unemployment. Chapters 9-15 are about moving forward and taking action.
In chapter 10, Harlan breaks down the emotional journey of unemployment into six practical steps you can take to move forward.
1. Become self-aware.
2. Decide what you want.
3. Write your goals down.
4. Imagine or visualize your achieved goal. (emphasis his)
5. Take action.
6. Reflect and select.
The book’s introduction lacks sources for the statistics cited, which makes me uncomfortable. However, the point of the book is to help one heal emotionally, not provide economic figures. The nut of this touchy-feely (and I don’t mean that in a bad way) book is that it is okay to to feel how you feel, you should believe in yourself, and definitely go for it!
Leave a comment on this post by the end of Thursday, March 4 to win my review copy of Creative Unemployment: How To Transcend Job Loss
